Corruption is not a monopoly of the Adults

Magpakatotoo - series 1, youth and student voice - Listening to the Young Mind’s The majority of young people in the Philippines belong to the silent majority who are not heard, not given the chance to be heard, and if fact many are not heard not because they are not given the chance but because they refuse to speak because they do not want to be used by politicians, vested interest or other power trippers. Let us listen to some of them.
Magpakatotoo - series 2, youth and student voice - Youth Speak on Heroism and Patriotism Honoring the nation every flag ceremony or going to the rallies are stereotyping of patriotism, the following are youth insights on the issue of heroism and patriotism.

Corruption is not a monopoly of the Adults

Reading one article on corruption among the SK and reading articles regarding the Lozada case, I remember my paper at the Asian Social Institute. The following are the excerpt from page 114 entitled so young yet so corrupt (Buroklod, ASI, 2005) .

Having been dissapointed with the groups and people I met, I also never saw my generation making new paths of our own. My generation belongs to the so-called generation x who were born in the 1970's and are in their late 20's today (then of course). Older generations like the baby boomers are fascinated with us because of our line of thinking and the environment we live in.

However, as I have seen it, the idealism and energies of our generation are tainted by the older generation's greed and more refined greediness by our generation's sophisticaticated selfishness (remember Romulo Neri's statement to moderate their greed?) by our generation....I found out that corruption is not the monopoly of the older generation. Reading today's young people, i look forward that they will be more detached to the corruption of our society.

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I am not a fan of Joe De Venecia. In fact i don't like him as a politician. However, last saturday, i heard him in a radio interview in DZXL by Jarius Bondoc (Philippine Star columnist), that all of us are sinners and all of us need to change. Perhaps all along he is right.

Whether he is serious or not, we must accept it that our sociey, including we the people and our institutions alike are conquered by this dark clouds called corruption. I believe that it is a crime of treason when you stomach as a leader having a courage to put your country in debt by plunder and by soliciting kick backs while many decent Filipinos are decently working to earn a simple life and the vast majority do not eat decently because they don't have a decent work to support their children or family, forced to go out from the country, to send their kids to school, to heal their sick relatives or to the end, provide a simple funeral for their departed love one.

It is an act of treason. And it deserve capital punishment. If we don't want to see our countrymen putting justice in their hands, let start to change and accept that premise that all of us are accountable because we create the kind of our leaders we have.

And for our leaders, to change so that they become an inspiration to the people that is sadly not happening....

albert banico
manila

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Corruption in the SK - Ralph Anderson A. Rojas

Watching Lozado's expose regarding ZTE broadband deal, my heart bursts so much into anger to the extent that I can feel numbness with everything I hear about corrupt practices in our country.Corruption is indeed rampant in all parts of the country and in all institutions of the government. Differences only come in amounts - higher position means higher power equals bigger projects means probability of bigger commission. What is more, corruption is not just about commission and overpricing, it takes a lot more faces.

Even in Sangguniang Kabataan, this issue is not new. Many SK officials are indulged in corrupt practices. For example, when they purchase sports equipments, office supplies, uniforms, etc, they get 10% or more of their payment. Worse, other SK intentionally overprices the items by conspiring with the suppliers in order for them to gain more into their pockets.Another example is on sports tournaments where SK would make proposals containing the number of games which is more than what actually transpired.

They would process the papers according to their proposals and would convince the referees to sign and attest so that they could have the excess budget. Worse, some were able to liquidate even there was no event that really took place.Moreover, it is common that SK buys books for the youth of their barangay even many of those are not being utilized.

Some just buy these reference materials or encyclopedias just for the sake of having a project to be included in their accomplishment reports and oftentimes because of the commission they could gain. They not only defeated the purpose of the project but instead of more books are being purchased for their constituents, they spend the money for themselves.These were just some of the corrupt practices involving SK.

I know there are a lot more. What is more disheartening is that SK's fellow officials like the barangay captain, councilors and treasures are the ones teaching them the process. Yet, I always kept reminding my fellow SKs not to emulate such disgraceful deeds. I even talked with our accountant and auditor on how to deter these acts yet they told me that as long as the papers are complete, it is hard to falsify it. Truly, our government has weak accountability and auditing procedure and lots of loopholes in our laws.I really feel demoralized with the happenings in our country.

But I also believe that we have no difference with Abalos or FG if we are indulged in corrupt activities during our terms as SK.In our youth, I hope we could effect change. We could resist temptations if we are thinking not just of ourselves but of others. We should not follow the wind but rather adjust our sails, even we are alone. Though, in your term as public servants, you spend your own money in many occassions, it doesn't give you the right to compensate it through corruption.

Never rationalize illegal acts.For nothing is secret that shall not be made manifest, niether anything hid that shall not be known and come abroad (Luke 8:17) and he that is faithful in that which is least is faithful also in much (Luke 16:16).

Fri, 08 Feb 2008 11:36:40 -0000
Ralph Anderson A. Rojas

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A Congress for Our People

Last night, Jose De Venecia, one of youngest cabinet member appointed in the Marcos regime, the longest speaker of the House of Representatives was ousted because of contradiction within the ruling coalition party.

TANOD SERIES – 9 Filipino Dream
(Ang TANOD SERIES ay mga bahagi lamang sa mga artikulong sinulat ni albert banico sa TANOD dyaryo ng Bayan noong 2007. Ang bahaging ito ay tungkol sa mga pangarap ng pinoy base sa mga pakikipagusap at panayam sa mga ordinaryong tao sa lipunan. Ang nauunang artikulo ay bahagi ng isang diskusyon sa klase sa San Beda tungkol sa mga hangarin ng Pinoy)

Men are oppressed too, Mon, 18 Dec 2006: Discussion with atty. Rita Linda Jimeno, manila stadard today

If we desire to live in a better society, i guess we need to reflect on this ideas. Reconstruct our laws to be equally sensitive not only for the children and women but also to men and to all gender. We are all exploited by our own social reification.

ANG BAGONG LIGA
This is an effort to invite companion in the formation of a generational movement if not, a small initiave to come up with independent and non partisan initiatives to effect change, development and reforms in any field of interest.